This invention relates to devices for the preparation of beverages, such as coffee of tea, and it has for its principal object the provision of an improved device of this character whereby such a beverage can be quickly and efficiently prepared. To this end I provide a device whereby a perforated filter, is caused to pass in a downward direction through heated water which has been infused by a mass of ground coffee, or other substance, from which the flavor or soluble portions are to be extracted. The preferred form of the invention is particularly adapted for the preparation of individual drinks directly in a glass or ceramic drinking mug.
Infusion type coffee makers are known. The prior art generally relates to coffee pots in which multiple servings are prepared and subsequently poured into individual mugs or cups for consumption. The process of pouring the coffee or other beverages into a secondary vessel causes noticeable temperature loss and subsequent loss in flavor due to temperature loss. Also, it is often desirable for a person to prepare a single cup of coffee or tea for immediate consumption. The preparation of a larger amount and the use of two vessels instead of one is more difficult and time consuming as well as requiring more effort to clean the vessels after consumption. Simply miniaturizing the conventional plunger type infusion coffee maker to single serving coffee mug size is impractical because the apparatus comprised of a plunger stem, coffee ground holding chamber and filtering disk would interfere with the drinking process There is one example found in prior art which attempts to solve this problem. Manuel De Arrigunaga, of New York, N.Y. in his U.S. Pat. No. 1,346,485 dated July 13, 1920 describes an infusion type coffee maker which is proposed for single serving use in which a person can drink directly from the vessel in which the coffee is prepared. The design is comprised of a cylindrical liquid container which is open at the top, a top cover having a centrally located hole, a piston composed of an upper tubular and lower threaded half, lower and upper perforated metallic disks. The lower metal disk having the threaded piston portion firmly attached is placed at the bottom of the drinking vessel. A single serving amount of coffee grounds or tea is then placed on the metal disk. The second metal disk having a centrally located hole is placed over the coffee grounds or tea and the threaded piston protrudes through the hole in the upper metal disk. The person then screws the upper piston portion onto the lower piston portion, pours hot water into the liquid container and then places the top cover onto the top of the liquid container. Upon completion of these steps the person then pulls the protruding piston rod in an upward direction and then in a downward direction to infuse the coffee or tea into the hot water. The person then unscrews the upper tubular piston rod from the lower threaded piston rod, removes the top lid and is then ready to drink the contents of the liquid container. Although this method produces a good cup of coffee or tea, it uses a considerable number of parts and requires a considerable number of steps in preparing the coffee or tea and in the subsequent cleaning of the parts and therefore is time consuming and inefficient.